Plant Restoration Ecology, Department Chair FAQ, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)

Community Ecology, Intertidal Zones, Marine Protected Areas

Dr. Smith discusses his journey to becoming a community ecologist, the struggles he faced along the way, and his passionate interest in seaweed. We talk about what marine protected areas are and why they are important as well as the steps in reaching out to professors to gain undergraduate research experience.

Sea slug evolution and international research

Dr. Valdés covers his background as a scientist in Spain and how he uses sea slugs as specimens to research evolution across the globe.

Plant anatomy, landscape architecture, and telling your parents you're switching majors

Dr. Edward Bobich talks to us about how he interests the general public in plant research, what a curator position at a university is, and how to have difficult conversations with parents, and yourself about switching majors. We also take a detour to talk about the Brea Tar Pits in LA since Dr. Bobich has research students conducting work there!

Science education and SCUBA diving

We talk to Dan McCarthy about teaching science education in k-12, the teaching credential process, and whats it like teaching middle schoolers? You never know, maybe its for you! We also cover SCUBA safety 101, common misconceptions, and the amazing life you can only see under the sea!

Plant Restoration Ecology, Department Chair FAQ, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)

Dr. Erin Questad walks us through how she navigated the tumultuous parts of her academic career. Stories include how she found herself in Kansas for an REU program, temporarily left her graduate program to work in industry, then became the current biology chair at Cal Poly Pomona. Curious about academic admin and what responsibilities a department head has? We get into that too!